Four Point One
by anxioussquirrel
Summary: Kurt Hummel and the Anderberry siblings have been best friends since they were six and living on the same street. Now in their mid-twenties, the trio gets together to plan an important event. But can past stay in the past?
1. Chapter 1

**Author's notes:** Months ago, Hachi, the other half of the collaboration behind _Let's Play Pretend _and _No More Pretending_, planted an idea in my head – like she tends to do quite often – using two gorgeous little manips. This tiny series of heavily AU future-drabbles is the result.

Warnings? Sure! Here you go:

* multiple ships;

* completely **AU**;

* **PG** (gasp! I know!);

* **tiny!** Shorter than any series I've ever written – barely 7100 words in 7 installments;

* fluffier than anything I've ever written, too. I think. Though it's us, so some angst is inevitable.

We will post every day unless stated otherwise. You can also find graphic additions to the story if you look it up on my scarves&coffee or livejournal account, or by checking the tag "fic: four point one" on tumblr.

Please to enjoy :)

* * *

**#1**

_May 7, 2017_

"Kurt, you can't do this!" Rachel hissed as she followed him into the kitchen, ostensibly to check if the ice-cream in Blaine's freezer was really vegan.

"Do what?" Kurt asked innocently, peeling off the foil from the top of a fresh bottle of wine.

She rolled her eyes, exasperated. "Flirt with him like that. I know my brother is possibly the most oblivious man in the history of Ohio, but even he will catch on eventually if you keep doing that."

"So what if he does?"

"_Kurt_." Rachel winced at the shrill quality of her voice and dialed it down to a stage whisper. "He had just put his pregnant fiancéeto bed! We're here to help plan their _wedding_! What about this sounds like an invitation to flirt to you? Can it be any clearer that he wants Quinn, no one else?"

"Maybe if he knew all of his options–" Kurt wouldn't meet her eyes, focused on pulling out the cork.

Rachel let out a long-suffering sigh. "You guppy, you've had what, seven years to tell him? And _now _you want to confess? It's the worst idea you've ever had."

Kurt finally looked at her. "Rachel, if I don't tell him now, I will never have a chance ever again."

She huffed out an annoyed breath. "You already missed your chance! Repeatedly! And now, in just five short months, they're going to have a _baby_ together. They are getting married, becoming a family. I know it hurts, Kurt, but it's time to let go."

"But he doesn't look happy." Kurt crossed his arms.

"He's just stressed. It's all happening so fast, and quite a bit sooner than they planned. Quinn was so tired tonight you didn't get to really get to know her, but believe me, she's a lovely girl. And they are just wonderful together, so sweet and caring." Kurt's face fell, but Rachel pressed on. "They'll be fine, once the wedding crazy passes. Don't ruin it for them. Don't give Blaine doubts now. It's not fair to him, don't you think?"

Kurt hung his head, silent for once, and Rachel's eyes softened. She put a tender hand on his shoulder.

"Believe me, I _know_ how it hurts to have all of these feelings and then see with a sudden clarity that they can never be requited. But you have to move on. I'm sure there's someone else waiting for you somewhere out there, Kurt." She squeezed his shoulder before letting go to open the freezer. "Now come on, we're already taking too long with that wine and ice-cream, and the wedding won't plan itself. Just please, don't tell Blaine."

"Don't tell me what?" Came a confused voice from the doorway.


	2. Chapter 2

**#2**

"_Don't tell me what?" Blaine asked._

"That this ice-cream isn't really vegan at all."

"That I'm in love with you."

They spoke at the same time, and clearly the shock of being overheard and pressed to come up with a quick answer influenced them very differently.

_Shit_.

Blaine's honey-warm eyes widened and he froze for a moment, looking between his sister and his oldest friend. His mouth opened but no sound came out so he shut it with a click. Then he blinked and it was like the last minute didn't happen. Clearing his throat, he turned to Rachel and took the tub of ice-cream out of her hand.

"What are you talking about, of course it's vegan, I've read the label three times. Quinn couldn't stomach dairy for a few weeks and this is the only type that didn't make her puke. Can't you read, you goose? Besides, I saw the same brand in your apartment. You're both drunk, lay off the wine and let's go finish with the planning."

When Blaine finally looked at Kurt, his face was carefully controlled, neutral, his smile wide and toothy and completely fake. Kurt inhaled sharply.

"Um, actually, I have to run. I think I left the iron on and the front door open and– I have to go. I'm sorry, you'll do fine without me, I'm so sorry, I'll call you, bye."

He was out the door before he was done talking. And if he sped just a little on his way home, no one could blame him. Considering the iron and all.

* * *

_May 8, 2017_

Blaine found him the next evening, scant hours before Kurt's flight back to New York. He didn't bother calling, just came over and knocked on the door. Kurt would have shut it as soon as he saw Blaine's earnest, stupidly handsome face if there wasn't already a foot put in conveniently to prevent it.

"Please talk to me."

Kurt sighed and briefly considered hiding in his old room and barricading the door, but eventually he stepped out to the porch. He sat down on the top step, as ready as he would ever be to take whatever came. Blaine settled next to him, too close in the tight space.

"I'm sorry I freaked out last night," he said.

Kurt shrugged, never looking up from his feet. "I'm sorry I made you freak out. Rachel was right, I shouldn't have told you."

Blaine didn't hurry to deny it and for a moment there was silence between them, tense with unspoken words. Then Blaine cleared his throat.

"Kurt... why _did _you tell me? Why now? It can't be a new thing, not when we've hardly seen each other in six months."

Kurt stared at him. "Rachel didn't tell you?"

"She let out a very colorful string of curse words when you left, but then she refused to talk about anything but the wedding for the rest of the night. She told me to ask you if I _really_ wanted to know. So... here I am."

Kurt shook his head. He'd avoided Rachel's calls all day, all too aware that she would probably eviscerate him verbally for not only confessing, but leaving her alone for the aftermath. But he assumed she'd filled Blaine in, and he would never have to talk about it again.

Well, he should have known better. It was Rachel, after all.

He sighed. "It's... not new. I've had a crush on you since senior year."

"Of college?"

"Of high school."

Blaine's eyebrows shot up. "But that's–"

"A really long time, yes. I know. I'm sorry, I should have just kept my mouth shut." Kurt couldn't take his eyes away from the tuft of grass by the porch steps.

"But why didn't you say anything earlier?" There was something in Blaine's voice – something more than incredulity.

Kurt looked up at him. "Because you're straight, duh."

"Yeah, about as straight as my sister." Blaine rolled his eyes and Kurt's breath stuttered to a stop.

"...what?" he choked out.

Blaine frowned. "What? You know she sleeps with girls just as often as guys. You even mentioned her girlfriend once–"

"No, I mean... you?" Kurt managed and Blaine shrugged.

"It's girls for me most of the time. But I've been with a few guys over the years. In fact, um..." Blaine paused, biting his lip. "You were the first one to make me realize that I'm attracted to boys, too. Back in high school, before you officially came out." He chuckled softly. "Remember my Big Unnamed Crush of 2010?"

Kurt's eyes went wide. Air seemed too thin to breathe properly. "You mean–"

"You, yes. I never said anything because Rachel was madly in love with you back then and it would have been mean of me when I knew she had no chance. Not to mention, it would have ruined our friendship, and I couldn't imagine the three of us not hanging out constantly."

Kurt was shaking his head with a frown. "No, you have it wrong. Rachel? In love with me? She must have been kidding you."

Blaine let out a short burst of laughter. "Sure, and all those hearts with your name all over her diary were part of the joke. Not to mention all the evenings she spent crying because you wouldn't look at her _that_ way. No, it was real. She got over it halfway through college, and I even considered asking you out at last. But you were always dating someone, and then there was that Dean guy that I hated..." Kurt winced. Dean wasn't his fondest memory, now that he looked back with proper perspective. "And then we graduated and I moved back here, so you were completely out of reach, and I convinced myself that it was the way it was supposed to be. Us only ever being friends." Blaine's voice changed now, quiet and lower, and he cleared his throat. "And now you're telling me that all along, you've been in love with me? It's... fuck, it's rough, Kurt."

Kurt hung his head, his eyes stinging. "I'm sorry."

"I just... I wish you'd have told me earlier. I would have loved to date you. To try and be together. But... Kurt, it's too late now. I'm going to be a father. And a husband. And I intend to be the best one I can be, so..." He reached out, his hand hovering over Kurt's for a second before he took it and squeezed. His touch burned as much as his words did. "I'm sorry."

Kurt curled in on himself, trying with all his might to hold in the tears. He was failing miserably, and he failed completely when Blaine turned to hug him. A tiny sob tore out of his throat and he pressed into the familiar embrace just for a heartbeat before pulling away.

"Thank you for telling me. And I'm sorry. Could you... would it be very rude if I asked you to go now? I need to be alone for a bit."

Blaine nodded, a look of utter helplessness on his face. His eyes were soft and sad when he got up.

"Of course. I'm so sorry, Kurt." He hesitated, then asked, "Will you still come to the wedding? Your presence would mean a world to me, but I understand if you can't."

Kurt shook his head. "Of course I'll be there. We swore, remember?" He managed to find a small smile as he saw recognition flash in Blaine's eyes, an old memory resurfacing.

When they were 12 (11 in Rachel's case), and friends for half of that, the three of them had made a sacred pledge that no matter what, no matter where they were at the time and if they were still close at all, they would drop everything and come to each other's weddings. Rachel wanted to seal it with blood, but none of them could actually go ahead and cut themselves with the dull pocket knife she'd found, so their thumbprints on the document were in raspberry juice instead. Kurt still had the yellowed sheet of drawing paper in the box with his most prized memorabilia.

The fondness on Blaine's face was tinged with unbearable sadness as he said, "I know, but I don't want it to hurt you. I've never wanted to hurt you, Kurt."

More tears threatening, Kurt got up from the stairs. "I'll be fine, I just need some time. Goodbye, Blaine."

"Goodbye, Kurt. Take care."


	3. Chapter 3

**#3**

_July 14, 2017_

"Rachel. Rachel, open up, I know you're home, your lights are on! Rachel!" Kurt rapped on the door, not stopping until it opened to reveal his very annoyed best friend.

"Have you considered that I might be busy? Or not interested in your company right now?" she hissed, moving swiftly to block the door before he had time to charge through.

"Oh come on, Rachel, if you have someone there, they can wait a moment. You and I have something to discuss." Kurt whipped a slim ecru envelope out of his jacket pocket. "I got _this_ in the mail today. Apparently Blaine and Quinn's wedding got cancelled. Do you know anything about it?"

"Kurt, this is not a good time." Rachel turned as if to step back inside and Kurt grabbed her hand before she could move.

"Oh no, babe, don't even think of that. See, I know you were in Lima last week. And I happen to know you were in charge of the invitations, and these are the exact same design, so I guess they were your work, too. What happened? Why didn't you tell me anything? Is Blaine alright?"

Behind Rachel, in the apartment, something fell to the floor with a dull thump. She glanced back with a worried frown. "I really can't talk right now."

And then she took a step back, using his momentary distraction to pull her hand out of his, and closed the door in one smooth motion.

Kurt blinked, stunned. Did she just shut him out? He pounded on the door again.

"Rachel Barbra Berry, open the door this instant or... or you can forget about my help with your premiere dress, do you hear me? Rachel! Open the door!"

But the only results of the next few minutes were sore knuckles and an angry neighbor peeking out from the next door apartment telling him to go the fuck away.

* * *

Back home, Kurt only hesitated long enough to pour himself a glass of wine before tapping out a text to Blaine.

_Are you okay?_

They'd had no contact since that night on his father's porch two months ago, and as much as Kurt missed talking to Blaine, he wasn't really sure where they stood or how awkward it would be once they met again. So he was relieved, if a little nervous when his phone rang not a minute later, the screen lighting up with Blaine's high school picture.

"Blaine."

"Hi Kurt. I... I could really use a friend right now. Do you think–"

He sounded broken, raw, and Kurt sank into the armchair with his wine and grabbed a blanket. He had all the time Blaine needed.

"Of course. Are you alright? I just found out today."

"No," Blaine said quietly.

Kurt waited for him to elaborate, but nothing more seemed to be coming, so finally he prompted gently, "Blaine?"

"I'm not okay. I have no one to talk to. I'm all alone here, Rachel is with Quinn, and I have no one. I'm losing my fiancée and my daughter, I'm alone in an empty house, and I have _no one_, Kurt."

Kurt didn't hesitate for a second. "You have me. I'm here. Talk to me."

Blaine let out a shaky exhale. "What did Rachel tell you?"

"Nothing. I got the wedding cancellation notice in the mail and went to ask her what happened, but she wouldn't talk to me. She had– oh. I guess she had Quinn there, didn't she?" Rachel's weird behavior made much more sense all of a sudden.

"Probably." Blaine sounded choked. "They went to New York together two days ago."

"Two days– Damn that woman! I swear–" Kurt exclaimed before catching himself. His annoyance at Rachel could wait. "Blaine, what happened? I thought you two were happy together."

"I thought so too," Blaine said. There was a clink of glass in the receiver. "And I don't know what happened. I have _no_ idea. One day we were discussing buying a house, with Rachel all bouncy and excited to go see a few with us, and the next I came home from work to find Quinn crying and saying we have to cancel the wedding."

"Could it be just the hormones?" Kurt asked carefully.

Blaine sniffled. "That's what I thought, too. But she said she'd been thinking about it for months, she just never had enough courage to tell me that this wasn't what she really wanted. She said…" There was a pause and another clink of glass followed by the sound of swallowing. It looked like Kurt wasn't the only one with liquor in this conversation. "She said she loved me, and I was her best friend, and that I'd be an amazing father, but she couldn't imagine spending her whole life with me."

"I thought you guys had been planning to get married even before there was a baby in the picture?"

"I–" Blaine paused, then admitted, "I don't know. That's what we told everyone, but to be honest, we hadn't thought that far ahead. We had only been a couple for six months before Quinn got pregnant. We were good together so marriage felt like an obvious choice, and she never seemed like she didn't _want _it."

"Did you?" Kurt asked gently.

"I… I could imagine myself as a husband, easily. And a dad. God, definitely a dad, I couldn't wait for our girl to be born. And now–"

Blaine's voice broke and Kurt ached to reach out through the space and just hug him.

"You will still be her dad," he reassured. Then he caught himself. "Or did Quinn say she doesn't want anything to do with you?"

"No," Blaine sniffled. "She said she wants our baby to know me, that we will work it out somehow, but she can't marry me."

"See?" Kurt said. "You will still be her dad. It may be harder, and different than you imagined, but you'll be there for your daughter, come on. You'll find a way. I have no doubt about it." Blaine's hitching breath was evening out again. Kurt asked, "Is Quinn planning to stay in New York?"

"I think so. That's what she was thinking about before she got pregnant – some life changes, a big city, a new job. Rachel told her she could live with her until she finds her footing, so–"

"So you can always come here," Kurt said. "I live two minutes away from Rachel. You can visit whenever you want, I have a spare room. It will work out. Maybe even you and Quinn will patch things up?"

"I doubt that," Blaine said morosely.

Another clink of glass. Blaine's voice was changing, not slurred yet but slower, deeper, the way Kurt knew well from their occasional drinking escapades in college. Blaine was passing the point of tipsy and into drunk. It always did things to Kurt's libido when Blaine's voice got like this, rough and sexy, but not this time. Not when there was so much hurt there.

Blaine took a shuddering breath and continued.

"She said this isn't a relationship she can imagine being forever. That it's nice and easy and I make her feel safe and cared for, but this isn't _it_. I'm not _the One_, I'm just a cherished friend who also happened to be her lover and the father of her child. There's no future for us, Kurt."

"Wow," Kurt breathed out. "I'm sorry. And it took her this long to realize that?"

Blaine huffed. "I think it's because of Rachel. I worked late those last few days so they were alone together a lot, planning the last details and talking and– I think Quinn saw her chance. I mean, she had no one to support her before, financially or emotionally, if she left. She had nowhere to go, her parents only tolerated her pregnancy because she was getting married. Rachel gave her an option, and she took it. My own fucking sister." Blaine laughed bitterly.

"Why would she do that?" Kurt knew Rachel had her flaws – she was sometimes blinded by her ambition, definitely self-centered, and always a diva. But she was never cruel, and certainly not to those she loved.

"Oh, they've become friends," Blaine said bitterly. "_Sisters_, Rach insisted. She said she's doing it for all of us, because it's better in the long run. It's better if we split now than divorce a few years down the line, or live our whole lives unhappy together. What the fuck does she know?"

There was a dull thump on Blaine's end, then a crash of breaking glass and a muffled curse. Kurt winced. Blaine must have reached the uncoordinated phase.

"Blaine? Blaine, honey, leave the glass, you'll only cut yourself. Leave it, you can clean it up in the morning, okay?" he soothed, concerned. The silence on the phone stretched, and Kurt could almost see Blaine crouching helplessly over the broken bottle or glass or whatever it was that fell to the floor. No one there to help him or hold him, just be there for him. "Come on, talk to me. Are you there?"

"I'm here," came the quiet reply.

"Okay, how about you go to bed now?"

"I can't," he choked out. "There are too many memories in that bed. The night after the engagement, the dreams and planning and talking, all those times I lay there with my hand on Quinn's belly, feeling the baby kick–"

"The couch then," Kurt interrupted before Blaine could break down completely. "Go crash on the couch. Sleep it off and I will call you in the morning. I can talk to Rachel or–"

"No. It's done, it's no use," Blaine murmured. Kurt could hear him moving, shuffling, the whisper of a blanket. Thank god drunken Blaine was always easy to direct. When he spoke again, he sounded somewhat less inebriated. "Thank you, Kurt. For letting me get this out. I needed it."

"Anytime. I'm here for you, I promise, whenever you need me. Goodnight, Blaine."

"'Night, Kurt."

There was a beep in the receiver, but the connection didn't end and Kurt stayed on the phone for a while longer, quietly listening as Blaine's breathing evened out, until he felt like a creep and disconnected.

He would call him in the morning. He would do everything in his power to help Blaine get through this. But for now, the only thing he could do was let him sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

**#4**

_October 5, 2017_

"I hate you, hate you, _hate you_."

Quinn's voice came sharp through the closed door and echoed in the quiet hospital corridor, ending with a ragged scream. Kurt dropped the magazine he was reading. There was a breath of silence, and then a piercing, "No, get_ out_!"

The door to the birthing room opened a moment later and out came Blaine, looking pale and dejected. He slumped into the armchair opposite Kurt and just sat there, looking into space with a spooked expression.

Eventually, Kurt decided to break the silence. He was here more for Blaine than Quinn anyway. Even though he'd come to know her better over the months she'd been living with Rachel, she was still nowhere near as close to his heart as either of the Anderberry siblings. Not to mention, he still held a bit of a grudge. She did hurt his best friend.

"I hear this happens a lot," he said.

Blaine shrugged and looked down at his hands. There was a neat line of red crescents on the top of his left palm. "She let Rachel stay."

"Rachel didn't put that baby in her belly," Kurt pointed out gently.

"I guess."

Blaine got up from the chair and started pacing the small space, never able to keep still when he was nervous. A nurse passing in a hurry nearly collided with him in the narrow corridor.

Kurt waited until Blaine was done apologizing, then continued calmly.

"Plus, Rachel did Lamaze with her. She knows how to help."

Blaine just hummed, frowning as he kept pacing. As devoted as he was to his daughter, he'd decided to hoard up his leave days for the time after Rose was born, so it was Rachel who had accompanied Quinn to most of her doctor's appointments and birthing classes. It didn't seem like a hardship to her, seeing as they were still living together, but Kurt knew that Blaine felt guilty about it anyway.

"So how was it going before you got kicked out?" Kurt asked after a while. Blaine perked up.

"Well the doctor said she's almost there." Then his face fell. "I can't believe I won't be there to…"

"… to see her slip out of your ex's vagina?" Kurt finished for him, and then slapped a hand over his mouth. "Sorry," he mumbled through his fingers. "No sleep, no filter."

Blaine's eyes widened and then he snorted, a startled sound unwinding into a fit of giggles that left him bent over, clutching his stomach. Kurt was relieved to see the tension that had been on his face all through this long night gone. Blaine smiled at him, wiping his eyes.

"Thank you. You have no idea how much I needed a laugh."

Kurt grinned. "You're welcome. Now come on, sit down. There's nothing more you can do right now. Stop annoying the nurses and let me give you a shoulder rub."

* * *

The baby was tiny and wrinkled, her face a little swollen. Kurt had followed Blaine to Quinn's room once she was settled, but he held back, the only one unaffected by the new arrival and unwilling to crowd them. Instead, he watched his friends' reactions, stupidly moved by the fact that he was allowed to witness such a moment in their lives.

Quinn looked exhausted, but glowing with quiet happiness as she held the mewling bundle in her arms. Rachel was bursting with joy, her energy filling the little room. Kurt could see how hard she had to restrain herself from bouncing and squealing. Instead, she just beamed like a thousand suns.

But it was Blaine Kurt couldn't stop looking at – Blaine with eyes full of love like Kurt had never seen. Not even an hour old and that little girl was already the love of his life. When he got to hold her – Quinn's grudge gone as soon as the pain stopped – Kurt had to actually avert his eyes. The moment felt too private to watch.

* * *

They left before 6 a.m., to let Quinn rest and to catch some sleep themselves. When they came back to visit that afternoon, Rachel was already there, sitting at Quinn's bedside, Rose asleep in the bassinette nearby.

Before Kurt had time to step through the open door, a tug to the back of his shirt made him pause. He turned to frown at Blaine who was standing behind him, staring into the room with a haunted expression. Kurt followed his line of sight and it was only then that he noticed it – the girls' hands joined on the covers by Quinn's side, the look on their faces as they talked quietly, too intimate for mere roommates or even sisters-in-law. As they watched, Rachel brought Quinn's hand to her lips and brushed a quick kiss to the inside of her wrist.

A door banged down the corridor, making the girls startle, and in a blink, the scene before them was sweet and innocent again, just two friends talking about the newborn baby. But Rachel looked up in time to see Kurt frozen there. Panic flashed in her eyes.

Blaine wasn't behind him when Kurt stepped into the room with a bouquet of flowers for the new mom. He came in a few minutes later, carrying a large pink balloon and looking calm and collected as ever. And if Kurt hadn't spent years with this boy as they grew up, hours and hours every day, he might have missed it – the tight set of his jaw, the minutely changed angle of his eyebrows. The lack of sparkle in his eyes. All through their visit, he never once looked at his sister or his ex-fiancée, all his attention focused on his little daughter instead.

Rachel and Quinn didn't notice, busy cooing over Rose as she woke up.

They were leaving when Rachel ran up to Kurt and hugged him tightly, only to whisper in his ear, "Please don't tell Blaine."

Right. Of course he wouldn't.

He didn't need to.

* * *

Blaine was pacing Kurt's living room, his arms wound tightly around his middle.

"I can't believe she left me for _Rachel_. God, I should have known. They were always texting, talking on the phone almost every day. 'Quinn's like a sister to me already'." He mocked in Rachel's most earnest tone. Then he huffed out a bitter laugh. "Sisters my ass."

"So you think they are really a couple?" Kurt asked carefully.

Blaine scoffed. "Of course they are. I know what Rachel looks like when she's in love. I know what _Quinn_ looks like when she's in love." He turned to Kurt. "Did you know there was something between them?"

"No," Kurt said. "I wondered, but I didn't think it was anything more than a possibility yet."

Blaine nodded, still pacing.

"Do you want to talk to them?" Kurt asked after a minute.

"No." Blaine stopped by the window, his face blank. "I don't even know what I feel about it yet. Let it be for now. I only have a week left with Rose before going home, I don't want to waste it on conflicts."

Kurt nodded. "Okay. Do you want wine?"

"Fuck yes. Please."


	5. Chapter 5

#5

_December 8, 2017_

Kurt waited two full months before he decided it was time for an intervention.

Blaine had just stumbled through his door at ten p.m. like he had every Friday since Rose was born – bleary-eyed and disheveled, an overnight bag clutched in his hand. He'd gone to the airport straight from work, and would leave New York at four on Monday morning to be at work on time again. These had been Blaine's weekends lately. Never mind lost sleep and money spent on plane tickets. Blaine couldn't imagine not seeing his little girl for more than a week. Hell, even the week was hard on him. Kurt knew it best, having been on the receiving end of many moping phone calls from Ohio.

And so, it was time for an intervention.

"Okay, before you say no, I want you to at least consider my offer," Kurt started as he put a cup of jasmine green tea in front of Blaine and then settled opposite him at the kitchen table.

"Okay?" Blaine said cautiously.

"You know I have a spare room. It can be yours if you want to. I mean, actually yours, not just on the weekends. This way you won't have to pay a fortune for a separate apartment while you're looking for a job here and settle in. I'm sure you must have thought about moving to the city at some point."

Kurt was prepared. He had arguments upon arguments ready, anything he might need to try and convince Blaine to think about it. It turned out he didn't even have to use one.

Blaine sighed and looked at him wearily.

"Of course I have, I think about it all the time. It tempting and incredibly generous of you. But Kurt – when I say I want to be in Rosie's life, I mean that I want to really _be_ there. With her visiting, maybe staying over sometimes if Quinn agrees. I'm sure you can find a better roommate, without a baby in the package deal."

Kurt took Blaine's hand over the table – just a quick, friendly squeeze.

"I happen to be quite fond of this particular baby," he admitted. And that was true. She'd grown on him. "And of her dad, if we're at it. My offer stands."

Blaine moved in two weeks later, just in time for Christmas.

* * *

_February 14, 2018_

"Okay, the diapers are here, along with three changes of clothes just in case." Quinn put the diaper bag on the sofa and returned to the hallway to extract Rose out of her puffy white snowsuit while still in the stroller. A moment later, she had the babbling, pink-cheeked little girl in her arms. "I put the pumped milk in the fridge. She will wake up for feeding at least once during the night, but there's more than enough. Remember not to warm it up in the microwave, and make sure she burps after eating. If she has trouble falling asleep, you may need to hold her for a little while. She likes it when I sing and–"

Her tone was getting more and more anxious, and Blaine interrupted her gently.

"Quinn, we've got it. I've taken care of her before, remember?"

Quinn bit her lip and hugged Rose a little tighter, rocking on the spot. "Not for the whole night. Oh god, maybe we shouldn't go."

Blaine reached for the baby and Quinn reluctantly put her in his arms. He smiled. "We'll be fine, go. You and Rachel deserve a proper date and a night of decent sleep. It's been four months."

Four months of learning to deal with the fact that his ex-fiancée, the mother of his child, was now his sister's girlfriend.

He hadn't taken it too well at first when they confessed, at the end of that first, week-long stay. Even though they swore there hadn't been anything between them until a few months after Quinn moved in with Rachel, even though Quinn said she'd never been in love with a woman before, hadn't even known she could be – it hurt. But seeing them together every weekend since, witnessing how happy they made each other had been melting his initial grudge little by little. And now he was finally at the point where he felt he could let it go and accept the whole bizarre situation. Hence his offer to take Rosie for the night on Valentine's Day, a peace offering of sorts.

Quinn sighed and nodded. "I know, it's just… It's the first time I'm leaving Rose for more than a few hours and it's harder than I thought," she admitted. "Thank you for doing this. You're the best, you know that?" she added softly.

Blaine rolled his eyes. "So you say. Now go, your girlfriend is waiting."

"Okay." Quinn kissed his cheek and then Rose's forehead. "But if anything happens, if you have any questions at all–"

"Nothing's gonna happen, we've got it covered. But yes, I have you on speed dial and I know to call if I need to."

"Okay. Love you. See you in the morning." With the last hesitant glance, Quinn stepped to the door.

"I don't want to see you here earlier than noon," Blaine called out to her before the door closed.

When they were alone, he turned to the little girl in his arms, rubbing his nose with hers. She squealed at him happily and waved her little arms. Blaine laughed, delighted.

"Hello, my little dumpling. How are you tonight?" he carried Rose to the living room where a thick blanket was already spread out on the carpet, a few simple toys scattered around. He set her down gently and lay down beside her. "You and I are going to have so much fun together! Uncle Kurt will be home soon, too, and he's bringing your new cot. Don't tell him I tattled, but he'd sewn a fluffy bunny for you today. I think he'd forgiven you for spitting the milk on his Marc Jacobs already."


	6. Chapter 6

**#6**

_March 25, 2018_

"Kurt. Kurt, wake up." An urgent whisper in the darkness jerked him awake.

"Mmmh? Blaine? What's wrong?" he rasped, still breathless from the intensity of his dream. He felt like his insides were shaking.

"You were screaming in your sleep," Blaine said, concerned. His hand was on Kurt's shoulder, a comforting weight.

"Oh. Did I wake you? Sorry, I had a nightmare."

"You did, but it's okay. Friends don't let friends deal with nightmares alone." Kurt could hear the smile in Blaine's voice. He felt his body relaxing already.

"Thank you," he murmured. "I'm okay now. You can go back to sleep."

Blaine didn't move. "Do you remember what we used to do when you had nightmares during sleepovers when we were kids? After your mom died?"

Kurt smiled fondly. "Yeah. You and Rachel would hold me between you for the rest of the night. You called it… what did you call it?"

"A cuddle pile of love." Blaine chuckled quietly.

"Right. I loved it," Kurt admitted, settling into the warmth of the bed and the memories. "It worked like a charm, even in those worst months."

"Okay, scoot over."

Kurt's drooping eyes snapped open. "What? Why?"

Blaine was already up and tugging at the edge of the comforter. "Rachel isn't here, but I'm still awesome at cuddling the nightmares away. Now move. I'm not _that_ small."

"But–" He wanted to. He really, really did, but it felt like he shouldn't, like he ought to keep his carefully created distance.

Blaine sat on the edge of Kurt's bed and wiggled his hips to get more room. "Come on. Love pile."

With an exaggerated sigh, Kurt moved to the other side of the bed, and Blaine immediately slid under the covers, his cold feet finding Kurt's calf. He ignored the ample space he was given in favor of scooting close to Kurt and winding his arm around Kurt's waist.

"Just so you know, you really don't have to–" Kurt tried to protest one last time, but Blaine just rubbed his chin against his shoulder, his voice low and sleepy.

"Shh. Cuddling. No talking. Now sleep."

* * *

Kurt woke up early the next morning, overheated and confused. There was another body pressed close against his back and he could feel stubble tickling the back of his neck as the man breathed evenly against his hair. It had been many long months since Kurt last invited anyone over, and he let himself bask in the feeling of being held like this as he drifted slowly to full consciousness.

Which brought him to the memory of his nightmare and Blaine slipping into his bed in the middle of the night. Kurt smiled to himself. So that's why it felt so safe and familiar. He'd known Blaine's embrace since they were six, when Kurt first became friends with the Anderberry siblings who'd moved into the house opposite his. All three of them had been tactile kids, who hugged and tickled one another mercilessly and fell asleep in a pile while watching cartoons during their frequent sleepovers. They were physically very close until well into puberty. And while obviously a lot had changed since then, Blaine's embrace still felt like a favorite blanket that made Kurt feel secure and cared for.

Except now it also made other feelings resurface, so Kurt sighed and moved, trying to disengage himself and get up to start his morning. Blaine's arm tightened around his middle.

"Mm, no. Don't go. I missed you," he mumbled sleepily.

Oh, how it ached. Kurt bit on his lip to counter the sudden sting in his eyes, and drew a bracing breath. "Blaine–" he said softly. It was only fair to make him realize who it was he'd been sharing the bed with. But Blaine just pulled him in closer, putting his hand over Kurt's heart.

"Stay, Kurt. Please," he whispered, lips hot against the skin of Kurt's neck, making him warm all over.

So Kurt stayed. And if he fell asleep again and was late to work that morning, he really couldn't be blamed.

* * *

That night, when Kurt got home, he was greeted with heavenly smells coming from the kitchen. The table was set, complete with a white tablecloth, candles and a bouquet of red and yellow roses in a vase. Blaine was pouring wine into two glasses when Kurt stopped in the doorway.

"Blaine? What's all this?"

Blaine set down the bottle. His expression was soft and a little shy as he walked up to stand in front of Kurt.

"This could be a 'thank you for being my best friend' dinner." He paused and bit his lip before adding, "Or, if you want to, it could be a date. Whichever you choose."

Kurt took him in for a long while – his best friend, his roommate, the boy he'd loved, one way or another, for as long as he could remember. And now, with his heart on his sleeve and hope in his bright eyes, Blaine was offering him something more still, a step in the direction they had both wished for at some point in their lives, but had never had the chance to take.

He took Blaine's hand.

"I'll take option number two."

Blaine's smile was like the sun. "I hoped you would say that."

Their first kiss was sweet and slow and much, much longer than first kisses usually last. But that was okay. They had _years_ to make up for, after all.


	7. Chapter 7

**#7**

_May 16, 2020_

"Okay, so we have the basics covered." Rachel shuffled through the papers covering half the table. "Blaine, you're in charge of securing the place plus all the formalities. Kurt covers the outfits and the decorations – just no final decisions without consulting everyone." She gave him a stern look and Kurt rolled his eyes.

"Yes, I _know_."

Rachel nodded, satisfied. "Quinn, you take care of the food and compiling the list of people we want to invite. I will secure the music and direct everything." She made another note on one of the pages. "Now, let's give ourselves a week, and we'll meet here again to discuss our progress. And then–"

A burst of quiet laughter from Quinn cut into her monologue. It sounded a little hysterical. Rachel took her fiancée's hand, concerned.

"Honey? Is everything alright?"

Quinn nodded, wiping tears from her eyes. It took a moment and several calming breaths until she was able to talk properly.

"I'm sorry. I think I'm panicking a little." She saw Rachel's widening eyes and quickly shook her head. "No, no, I have no doubts. I want to marry you, I promise. It's just… remember how we first met, all four of us together?"

Kurt nodded, understanding dawning. "Yeah. We were there to plan your wedding." He looked between Quinn and Blaine. "Look how far we've come in three years."

"God, I was so overwhelmed that night," Quinn admitted. "It was getting more real by the minute, you and Rachel laying out all these details that needed to be taken care of, and each felt like another rope binding me in a place I was less and less sure I wanted." She shook her head, incredulous.

Blaine smiled sadly. Kurt took his hand under the table.

"And now look at us," Blaine said after a beat, mischief twinkling in his eyes already. "We're here again, planning a double queer wedding of the century, with a kid who is perfectly convinced she has four parents."

"At least two of which are spoiling her rotten," Quinn sighed, but she couldn't quite contain the happy smile tugging at her lips. "But overall, I'd say we've done alright, don't you think?"

Blaine put his head on Kurt's shoulder. "I'm inclined to agree," he teased.

Kurt caught Rachel's eyes over the table. Neither of them said anything, but he knew he couldn't have been happier than he was now. And neither could she.

This was it. This was home.

**THE END**


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